Initial fuel-oil heating means



I. E. SMITH INITIAL FUEL OIL HEATING MEANS Jan. 3, 1928.

Filed May 25, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 BY ATTO RN EY Jan. 3, 1928. 1,654,614

I. E. SMITH INITIAL FUEL OIL HEATING MEANS Filed May 25, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet Fig. 2

I '4" IIE W INVENTOR Ira E. Sin i fh Patented Jan. 3, 1928.

UNITED s ATEs IRA E. SMITH, OF STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA.

INITIAL FUEL-OIL HEATING MEANS.

Application filed ma 25,

This invention relates to improvements in means for heating fuel oil and especially. for heating the oil of the grades used in connection with the more or less sensitive motor driven and similar oil burners. I

At present the oil is usually heated befpre being delivered to the burner but the heatlng means is regulated by a definite temperature only. In other words such heatmg means operate to merely insure that the oil when delivered to the burner will be at a certain relatively high temperature.

If all the oil supplied'to a certain burner could be depended upon as being of a. constant viscosity, this method would be satlsfactory. In practice, however, 1 have found 'that the oil delivered to the consumer from day to day by the oil companies, while presumably being of the same grade, varies considerably in viscosity. Therefore if a relatively heavy oil is merely raised to a tem-' perature of say 150 degrees, its viscosity at such temperature will still be greater than the viscosity of a naturally lighter oil raised to the same temperature, as will be evident.

The result is that it isalmost impossible to I set the smaller sensitive burner regulating valves at any definite point, since at one time a somewhat heavy oil is passing therethrough and at another time a lighter oil is passing through the valve. This necessitates constant adjustment of the valve by the operator to insure uniform and proper operation of the burner.

The principal object of my invention therefore is to provide a system orapparatus for initially heating the fuel oil, in which the heating means is controlled not by any certain temperature but by the viscosity of the oil itself after it has passed through the heating medium. The apparatus is arranged in such a way that regardless of the viscosity of the. oil initially fed to the heating means,

said oil as it leaves. the heating means will be of a uniform viscosity. To accomplish this a heavy oil will naturally have to be raised to a higher temperature before it attains a viscosity equal, to that of a thinner oil, but with my apparatus the temperature attained by the oil is incidental and does not of itself control the operation of the heating means.

The result therefore of the use ofmy apparatus in connection with an oi-l burner is that the oil as fed to the burner is always of a uniform viscosity, which viscosity is 1926. Serial No. 111,622.

capable of being regulated to suit, and with the operation of the apparatus such viscosity is automatically maintained without any attention at all on the part of an attendant being necessary.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive apparatus and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully'appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views: I

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of my oil heating system showing steam as the heating medium and an :electrically actuated valve for the steam line.

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the oil pressure-actuated diaphragm structure.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view showing the steam valve and adirect connection between said "alve and the diaphragm stem.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary diagrammatic view showing the heating means as being electricity, and also showing the control means for the circuit of the heating means as being directly controlled by the diaphragm stem.

f Fig. 5 is a fragmentary diagrammatic modification of the apparatus showing the heating means as being gas or fuel oil.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, and particularly at present to Figs. 1 and 2, A represents the boiler or furnace to be heated by a burner B of any suitable character, and C represents the main tank for the fuel oil to be supplied to the burner.

My heating means arranged in connection with these parts comprises an oil pipe line 1 leading from the tank C to a relatively small reservoir or tank 2, from the bottom of which tank a pipe line 3 leads to the burner B. The cold oil being pumped into the top of the tank and the hot oil taken out of the bottom, causes a substantially uniform temperature of oil in said tank to be maintained.

intermingles with the downwardly moving cold oil.

Interposed in the pipe line 1 is a pump 4 of a constant flow type, such as a rotary or gear pump of common character. This pump since the oil as it is heated tends to rise, and

top to bottom in the form of a coil 7. A

valve 8 preferably of the needle type is interposed in the'steam line 6, the stem 9 of the valve being connected to the lower end.

of an armature 10. This armature is pivoted intermediate its ends in, connection with y an electromagnet 11, the opening and closing of the circuit wires 12 of said electro'magnet being controlled as hereinafter seen. The arrangement of parts of this device is such that when the electromagnet is deenergized the steam valve will be closed.

Interposed in the pipe line 3 is a hollow member 13, one side of which, between the connection of the pipes 3 therewith, is formed as a diaphragm 14 expanded by pressure. An adjustable compression spring 14 bears down on the diaphragm so that the pressure thereunder and necessary to expand the same may be varied to suit. Removably fitted in the member 13 adjacent the outlet pipe 3, and beyond the corresponding end of electro-magnet will be broken.

the diaphragm is a plug 15 having a passage 16 therethrough which is very restricted in size compared to the interior area of the member 13 or the pipes 3. This plug is made removable so that lugs having different sized passages may fie inserted therein, depending upon the viscosity and quantity of the oil which it is desired to be fed to the burner. This plug is made of hardened steel so that the oil when being forced therethrough will not tend to wear the hole large and thus destroy its accuracy of regulation.-

A stem 17 projects upwardly from the diaphragm 14 and is connected at its upper end 1n ofifset relation to the pivot 18 of a mercurytube switch contact dev1ce'19. As customary in devices of this character the contacts project into the tube in spaced relation adjacent one end of the same, the tube being arranged' so that when the dia hragm is in its narmal unexpanded con ition, which is when there is a lack of ressure in the member 13 suflicient to expan the same, the tube is then at an angle such that the mercury is not engaged with the contacts 20, or in other words the switch is open. The contacts 20 are. interposed in the circuit wires .12 of the elec tromagnet 11, so that when the tube is in the above named position the circuit to said From a-point between the pump 4 and the tank 2 a bypass pipe line 21is connected to and the burner B a bypass or return pipe line 23 is connected to the pipe line 3 and leads to the suction side of the pipe line 1 or direct to the tank C, as may be desired. A relief valve 24, of a character similar to the valve 22 but having a lesser resistance is interposed in the-pipe line 23', this valve opening only away from the pipe line 3. A pressure gage 25 of suitable character is interposed in the pipe line 1 beyond the pump and a similar gage 26 is interposed in the-pipe line 3 be ond the member 13.

The relief valve 22 is set to open with a higher pressure than that causing the valve 24 to open and the capacity of the pump is greater than that of the burner B, so that a pressure will always be maintained in the pipe lines.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows:

The oil is drawn from the tank G by the operation of the pump 4 which pumps a constant flow or volume per minute into the pipe line 1 beyond the pump and ahead of the return pipe 21. The same volume of oil is also delivered to the tank 2 unless the pressure in the pipe line 1 exceeds the pressure necessary to open the valve 22, when suflicientoil to relieve this excessive pres sure returnsto the tank C or pipe line 1 through pipe 21. Upon reaching the discharge side of the member 13 the outflowof the oil is very much restricted owing to the presence of the small passage 16 through which all the oil from tank 2 must pass before it can reach the burner. 1f the viscosity of the oilis high, greater resistance to'the flow of the oil' through said small passage will of course be had than if the viscosity of the oil is relatively low. The result is that varying pressures are built up within the member 13, depending on the viscosity of the oil as above stated, and upon Inn the setting of the relief valve 22. When this pressure has reached a predetermined amount, depending onthe setting of the diaphragm spring, the diaphragm 14 will be 8 and allowing a flow of steam to pass from 1 the boiler to the coils 7 in the tank 2. The

oil passing through the tank will therefore be immediately subjected to the heat of the coils 7, with the result that very shortly the pressure accumulating in the member 13 will be reduced to such an extent that, the diaphragm let will no longer be expanded. This is on account of the fact that as the oil becomes heated it thins out or loses a certain viscosity, and therefore such oil can more readily pass through the passage 16, and the oil pressure in the member 13 is lessened. As the diaphragm resumes its normal position the switch member 19 is opened, the electromagnet is deenergized, and the steam valve closes. The parts will remain in these positions until with the cooling off of the coils 7 the oil passing thereby will rise in viscosity, again causing the pressure in the member 13 to be built up and the diaphragm 14 again expanded. It will therefore be seen that the functioning of the parts will continue automatically as long as the entire system is in operation. The passage 16 in the member 15 is of such a size that the pressure accumulating in the member 13 before the diaphragm 14 is expanded must reach a predetermined amount, and by altering the size of this passage, the ultimate viscosity and quantity of the oil passing to the burner may be regulated to suit difl'erent conditions.

' or pump.

By adjusting the valve 22 one way or the other, more or less oil may pass to the heater without being bypassed back to the tank crease in pressure against the diaphragm, causing the heat to be kept on for a longer or shorter time, with the same diaphragmspring adjustment, and the viscosity of the oil finally delivered to the burner is altered accordingly.

The valve 24 in return pipe 23, which is set to open at a lower pressure than valve 22 but the same as the pressure desired to be delivered to the burner allows some of the oil to return topipe line 1 (or tank G), since as before stated, the capacity of the pump is greater than that of the burner, and all oil fed to the pipe line, 3 beyond the diaphragm member will not be utilized. By reason of the various adjustment. features, it will be seen that independentof the initial viscosity of the oil, the viscosity of said oil as delivered to the burner may be varied to suit different conditions.

Neither one relief valve nor the other is suflicient to take care of the needs of the system but both must be used, since both necessarily operate at different pressures.

If the pipe 23 led back to the tank C (as would be done in cold climates) all the oil in the system would sooner or later be heated, since some oil is continually passing through the pipe 23.

The mercury tube switch is also construct- This results in an increase or de-.

ed so as to enable its slope to be adjusted, so that the extent of expanding movement of the diaphragm, independent of the spring acting thereon, may be adjusted to suit.

As above described, electrical control means is used for. the steam valve. This I feel to be the best for the purpose as being the most sensitive and quick acting. If desired, however, the diaphragm stem 17 could be connected directly to the stem 9 of the steam valve 8 by means of a lever 27 interposed between, the stems as shown in Figure 3.

In the apparatus above described steam is shown as being the heating means. This necessitates of course that the oil burner operate for a certain length of time before any steam is generated in the boiler, so that when first firing up the oil in its heavy condition must be burned without being heated or thinned out.

To avoid the necessity of this heavy oilpassing through the passage 16, I provide a bypass passage member as at 3 providing communication between member 13 aheadof the passage 16 and the pipe 3 beyond said passage, with a normally closed hand operated valve P in said bypass passage. 1

In Fig. 4 therefore I have shown how the oil may be electrically heated without depending upon steam. In this arrangement the tank 2 has electrical heating elements 28 therein, said elements of course being illsulated from the oil passing through the tak 2 The circuit wires 29 of these heating elements are connected directly to the contacts 20 of the mercury tube switch 19, which switch is actuated in the same man nerfas the switch 19 first described.

Gas or other heating; means may also be used to initially heat the oil. I have shown such an arrangement in Fig. 5, in which the tank 2? forms merely a firebox or enclosure for an ordinary gas burner 30. In this case the oil pipe line 1 passes through the tank 2 in the form of a coil 31 disposed above the burner, so that the oil flowing through the coil will 'be subjected to the heat of the burner 30. The gas'supply pipe 32 leading to the burner 30 has a valve 33 therein, which is opened and closed by a connection with the stem 17 of the diaphragm structure in the same manner as was shown in nection with the steam valve in Fig. 3. It will be obvious however that regardless of the type of heating means the operation of the system will be the same in any case, and will be as efiicient with one kind of heat as with another.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such an apparatus as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specificationsets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the apparatus, still in practice such deviaclaims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a source of supply, an oil pipe line leading therefrom, means for heating the oil as it passes through the the heating means, a return pipe leading from the line between the heating means and pump to the-source of supply, an adjustable relief valve in the return pipe opening away from-the heating means, a restricted passage in the line beyond the heating means, a valve in the line beyond said passage, a return pipe from the pipe line between the valve and passage to the line ahead of the pump, and an adjustable relief valve in said return pipe opening away from said other valve.

2. Incombination with an oil pipe line leading to a point of consumption, means for heating the oil as it passes through the 1 line, means for forcing the oil to the heating means with a constant volumetric flow, means for regulating. the pressure of such flow as delivered to the heating means, means interposed in the line beyond the heating means and actuated by the viscosity bf the oil in the line for controlling the actuated means and the point-0f consum tion for regulating the pressure of oil elivered to the point of consumption independent of the pressure of the oil in the pipe line ahead of the heating means.

3. In combination with an oil pipe line for heating the oil as it passes through the line, means for forcing the oil to the heating means with a constant volumetric flow, means for regulating 'the pressure of such flow as delivered to the heating means,

leading to a point I of consumption, means line, a pump interposed in the line ahead of means interposed in "the line beyond the heating means and actuated by the viscosity of the oil in the line for controlling the operation of the heating means, and means connected to the line between the viscosity actuated means and-the point of consumption for enabling the oil passing through the a line beyond said viscosity actuated means to be maintained at a constant pressure irrespective of the initial pressure, and regardless of any lowering of viscosity.

4. A structure as in claim 3 with means incorporated in connection with said constant pressure maintaining means for altering such constant pressure. a

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

IRA E. SMITH. 

